CVE-2025-68801

Kernel compromise via unreferenced neighbor pointer

Published Jan 13, 2026 · Updated Jan 13, 2026

Use-after-free in the mlxsw Spectrum router driver in Linux Kernel allows local users to compromise kernel memory during interface removal. A neighbor entry stores a raw pointer without holding a reference, so mlxsw_sp_neigh_entry_update dereferences the object after RCU reclamation. Reachability requires an active mlxsw Spectrum routing path and local permission to unlink a VRF slave; the stale read can crash the kernel or expose or corrupt kernel memory.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability0.15%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
Coverage for this vulnerability

See if you're affected

Explore vulnerability checks for your environment with Hinoki.

Book a demo

Summary

What happened

Use-after-free in the mlxsw Spectrum router driver in Linux Kernel allows local users to compromise kernel memory during interface removal. A neighbor entry stores a raw pointer without holding a reference, so mlxsw_sp_neigh_entry_update dereferences the object after RCU reclamation. Reachability requires an active mlxsw Spectrum routing path and local permission to unlink a VRF slave; the stale read can crash the kernel or expose or corrupt kernel memory.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-68801
Published
Jan 13, 2026
Updated
Jan 13, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux Kernel
Classifications
T1499.004
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jan 13, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Jan 13, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

Compare your product and version with the public record. A matching version still requires validation against your environment.

Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=4.8
  2. Affected versionversion=6cf3c971dc84cb36579515ddb488919b9e9fb6de <4a3c569005f42ab5e5b2ad637132a33bf102cc08
  3. Affected versionversion=6cf3c971dc84cb36579515ddb488919b9e9fb6de <675c5aeadf6472672c472dc0f26401e4fcfbf254
  4. Affected versionversion=6cf3c971dc84cb36579515ddb488919b9e9fb6de <8b0e69763ef948fb872a7767df4be665d18f5fd4
  5. Affected versionversion=6cf3c971dc84cb36579515ddb488919b9e9fb6de <c437fbfd4382412598cdda1f8e2881b523668cc2
  6. Affected versionversion=6cf3c971dc84cb36579515ddb488919b9e9fb6de <ed8141b206bdcfd5d0b92c90832eeb77b7a60a0a

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linux Kernelversion=4.8; version=6cf3c971dc84cb36579515ddb488919b9e9fb6de <4a3c569005f42ab5e5b2ad637132a33bf102cc08; version=6cf3c971dc84cb36579515ddb488919b9e9fb6de <675c5aeadf6472672c472dc0f26401e4fcfbf254; version=6cf3c971dc84cb36579515ddb488919b9e9fb6de <8b0e69763ef948fb872a7767df4be665d18f5fd4; version=6cf3c971dc84cb36579515ddb488919b9e9fb6de <c437fbfd4382412598cdda1f8e2881b523668cc2; version=6cf3c971dc84cb36579515ddb488919b9e9fb6de <ed8141b206bdcfd5d0b92c90832eeb77b7a60a0a

Published CVSS scores

7.8kernel.orgCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

T1499.004Application or System Exploitation

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

See the directory against your own environment.

Your stack

Check the software in your environment

Book a demo to see how Hinoki identifies affected software and validates exploitability in your environment.

Book a demo